Stories of 2017

Operation COCAIR VI took place from 9 to 17 December 2017, its main objective was to intercept illicit consignments of cocaine by air from South America bound to Europe. The operation is part of the WCO's "Project AIRCOP" aimed at stepping up controls in international airports in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean through the establishment of Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces.
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UNODC organized a workshop in Praia, Cape Verde, from 13 to 15 December, to develop pilot hubs for forensic science and strengthen the regional cooperation network for more efficiency in the fight against drugs in west Africa. The forensic component of the project provides technical assistance in forensic sensitization, crime scene exploitation...
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To foster regional cooperation and in order to provide an effective response to transnational organized crime, UNODC launched a cross-border initiative on 15 December 2017. The project aims at "Enhancing national capacities to detect and investigate cross-border organized crime in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal", in accordance with the recommendations made by the UN Inter-Agency Mission to The Gambia.
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To strengthen the capacity of the States in the Sahel to effectively integrate human rights in the fight against violent extremism and terrorism, the UNODC and OHCHR organized a training workshop on 11 and 12 December 2017 in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The training brought together 14 participants from the Permanent Secretariat and the G5 Sahel National Coordinating Structures.
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The UNODC Global Firearms Programme and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons of Mali organized a national workshop from 8 to 11 December 2017 for national law enforcement officers in order to enhance their capacities on registering and recordkeeping of marked firearms. UNODC contributes to fight illegal firearms trafficking.
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As peace and security in the Sahel region is becoming increasingly challenging the G5 Sahel decided to establish a Joint Force in February 2017. The structure and the operation of the Police component of the G5 Sahel Joint Force has been adopted during a workshop organized by UNODC and the G5 Sahel countries. This meeting took place from 6 to 8 December 2017 in Bamako, Mali.
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Two national workshops on financial investigation and asset recovery have been organized by UNODC, one in Niger from 28 to 30 November 2017 and the other in Burkina Faso from 5 to 7 December 2017. They have been implemented to respond to money-laundering and terrorist financing, two interconnected challenges increasingly facing national authorities.
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Two high level meetings of the West African Coast Initiative (WACI) were held on 4 and 5 December 2017 in Grand Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire. Participants, among whom were Ministers and high level representatives, reviewed the achievements obtained by the Transnational Organized Crime Units (TCUs) established in the framework of WACI in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea Bissau and Cote d'Ivoire.
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After its launch in January 2017, the Steering Committee of the Regional Programme met in Dakar on November 28-29, 2017 to reflect on its implementation. The Steering Committee meeting marks a major step, one year after the adoption of the new Regional Programme. For two days, the meeting gathered representatives from ECOWAS Member States and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania along with experts from UNODC and UNOWAS.
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From 21 to 24 November 2017 UNODC has organized a a training workshop on terrorism investigation techniques in Ouagadougou for criminal justice and law enforcement officials.This activity is part of the the Action Plan on Capacity Building to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate acts of terrorisms adopted in september 2017.
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A workshop on investigating and reporting drug trafficking and transnational organized crime in the Sahel was held in Sélingué, Mali, from 20 to 23 November 2017. Through such workshops, UNODC supports better visibility of issues related to drugs and organized crime through well-planned media campaigns for concerned population.
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It is imperative that mechanisms to monitor the extent, patterns and trends of drug demand and illicit drug supply be strengthened to inform national and regional responses to the menace. The UNODC organized in Abuja, from 22-23 November, a
"Technical Experts' Meeting on Collection, Analysis, Reporting of Data and Strengthening of National Information Systems on Drug Use".Read more

UNODC organized from 14 to 16 November 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria, a "
Regional workshop for the dissemination of the "UNPLUGGED" programme on drug prevention in schools in West Africa." The UNPLUGGED programme is a European Union drug abuse prevention initiative introduced in schools of the ECOWAS Member States by the University College Ghent (Belgium).
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From 6 to 8 November 2017, UNODC organized a workshop in Dakar with the instructors of the Police and Gendarmerie Academies of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. They adopted, took ownership of the training manuals on the fight against trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling and defined the future training modules for both field units and senior officers.
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UNODC and OHCHR have joined forces to provide technical support to the National Coordination Committee on the fight against Trafficking in Persons and Assimilated Practices. The workshop was held in Bamako, from 30 October to 2 November, to strengthen the capacity of Committee members and to develop recommendations and guidelines for the operationalization of the Committee.
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As part of its continued support to West and Central African States, UNODC met with Mauritanian criminal justice agencies in order to strengthen their responses to terrorism. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice, UNODC officials supported Mauritanian officials to support the identification of their goals, priorities and ways to reach them. As part of this project, two missions took place in Nouakchott, one in early July and the other one in October.
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As part of its mandate and in collaboration with the G5 Sahel, UNODC organized a meeting on mechanisms and norms for information exchange within the Security Cooperation Platform (PCMS) of the G5 Sahel, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on 24 and 25 October 2017. A second meeting, complementing this one, is expected to take place in the coming months.
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UNODC supported the organization of the joint meeting of the West African Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors (WACAP) and the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for West Africa (ARINWA). It took place on 24-26 October 2017 in Saly, Senegal and gathered 45 participants. This joint initiative sought to create synergies between the two platforms and exchange on extradition, seizing, confiscating and freezing of criminal assets, among other topics related to money laundering.
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UNODC, with the support of Financial Intelligence Units of Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, organized two workshops relating to the strategic financial disruption of terrorist networks, the first, in Dakar, Senegal from 18 to 21 September 2017 and the second in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from 9 to 11 October 2017. Those workshops aimed to strenghten capacities of law enforcement authorities in the fight against the financing of terrorism.
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UNODC organized a series of training workshops on the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases from May to October, in Niamey. A total of 83 (including 7 women) judicial police officers, field investigators, forensic officers, judges, prosecutors and investigating judges benefited from the three training sessions. The aim was to strengthen their capacities to investigate and prosecute terrorism cases.
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A number of factors play a role in West Africa's vulnerability to transnational organize crime activities. In order to achieve a desirable level of gathering, analyzing and sharing of intelligence, UNODC, held on October 5-6 2017 in Dakar, a "regional workshop on the acquisition, analysis and sharing of intelligence against transnational organized crime through the case of two West African corridors".
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Niger has processed 230 cases involving terrorism suspects, including 11 women and 25 children, in 60 days. It is the result of concerted action of the Nigerien judicial authorities supported by UNVolunteers and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC).The majority of these suspects had been held in pre-trial detention since 2015, when the terrorist attacks committed by Boko Haram ravaged the Diffa region.
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As part of the anti-corruption efforts by UNODC, a series of meetings and discussions with Chief Justices and senior judicial officers are taking place across the world ahead of the 2018 launch of the Global Judicial Integrity Network. To ensure that voices and views from across Africa are taken into account, a preparatory meeting is being held from 3-4 October in Ouagadougou. The Global Judicial Integrity Network will be launched to support States to fully implement the UN Convention against Corruption.
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Three national workshops on the understanding and analysis of the jihadist doctrine were organized in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, to strengthen the capacities of law enforcement and justice officials in charge of the fight against terrorism.This training aims to provide them with tools enabling to enforce effective preventive and repressive measures based on the understanding and analysis of the ideology behind terrorist action.
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The Sahel Programme, considered one of UNODC's flagship programmes, concluded an independent mid-term evaluation with a report available online. Responding to local realities, the Programme integrates almost all UNODC mandates and demonstrated concrete results achieved by the governments in the region. The independent evaluation also formulated recommendations for the coming years.
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UNODC provided two mentoring session to the staff of the G5 Sahel National Security Cooperation Platform (SCP) in Niger, from 23 to 25 May 2017, and Burkina Faso, from 13 to 15 September 2017, in the context of its programme to support the operationalization of the G5 Sahel SCP. Targeting officials appointed to the national units of the SCP, the aim is to accompany them in the implementation of their activities.
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In Mali and Niger, law enforcement officers have seized about 3 kg of cocaine after having arrested two traffickers during the month of September 2017. During the same period, prison authorities in the Ségou region of Mali were able to seize illicit psychotropic substances thanks to detection equipment provided by UNODC. These operational results showcase a strong commitment against illicit drug trafficking.
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The UN Security Council Resolution 2359 highlights a need for increased regional cooperation and a regional response to the threats of terrorism and of transnational illicit trafficking. It also welcomes the deployment of the G5 Sahel joint force, which will complement MINUSMA's mandate in Mali. UNODC will continue to work closely with these two key partners to promote peace in the Sahel.
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In the context of fighting terrorism, UNODC organised a training workshop on the investigation and prosecution of the financial aspects of terrorism. The workshop took place from 16 to 18 August 2017 in Dakar and brought together 24 law enforcement and criminal justice officials. The training was opened by high-ranking officials from the Gendarmerie, the Ministry of Justice and the diplomatic representation of Luxembourg.
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Further to requests for assistance formulated by the Ministry of Justice and of Information and Communication, UNODC organized two workshops in The Gambia between 7th and 11th August to support the Gambian efforts in drafting and adopting an Anti-Corruption Bill and a Freedom of Information Bill in line with international standards and best practices. The participants recommended a set of revisions and additions to the draft Bills.
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UNODC, supported by the Cellule Nationale de Traitement des Informations Financières du Mali (CENTIF) and with the participation of the MINUSMA, organized a workshop in financial disruption for terrorist networks in Bamako, between 7 and 10 August 2017. The aim was to establish and maintain a network of experts who have a specialist understanding of how to disrupt terrorist networks by targeting their financial infrastructure.
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UNODC organized a workshop in Bamako, from 2 to 4 August 2017 with officials of Judiciary, Police and Gendarmerie training schools of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The nexus between terrorism and organized crime is a crucial security issue in the Sahel. These links seem to be intensified due to corruption. Moreover, human trafficking provides armed groups with enrichment opportunities.
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In West Africa unavailability of reliable data on trends of drug use is a major setback to drug demand reduction efforts. To address the gap in epidemiological data on the demand and consumption of drugs, UNODC organized the first National meeting of Epidemiology Network on drug use and a National workshop on collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on drug use in Liberia (27-28 July) and Côte d'Ivoire (in August).
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Drug traffickers have forged links with criminal networks and use false documents to conceal their traces and identities. To combat organized crime related to drug trafficking, it is necessary to develop forensic capacities in West Africa because the criminal networks benefit from the low level of forensic resources and control. UNODC organized a training workshop on
document analysis from 26 to 28 July 2017 in Lagos.
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According to UN Women, "the great changes we are undergoing must primarily be understood in the context of the needs and concerns of women in specific situations of conflict. Women's participation is key to sustainable peace". UNODC and the High Commission for Human Rights organized a workshop on Gender Dimensions of Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism in Yaoundé, on 19-21 July 2017.
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From 17 to 19 July 2017, the third and last training workshop for Nigerien lawyers on the assistance and defense in terrorism cases took place in Niamey. This workshop takes part of the implementation of a capacity building project for the
Pôle judiciaire spécialisé in Niamey, mainly regarding access to justice. This project was undertaken in a context marked by a resurgence of terrorist acts by Boko Haram.
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The UNODC justice team chose to mark Nelson Mandela Day with a visit to Niamey prison. It was the opportunity for UNODC to encourage the efforts made by the prison staff towards the respect and good treatment of detainees despite the current prison overcrowding in Niger. Besides, UNODC recalled that several activities took place in Niger since the beginning of the year aiming at improving the legislative assistance of detainees.
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On 18th July, the international community marks Nelson Mandela Day, paying tribute to the former South African President that fought Apartheid and spent many years in prison. Every year, this day is an opportunity to promote better conditions of detention and to raise awareness on the plight of inmates. This year, UNODC decided to present the Nelson Mandela Rules to 80 students in Law at the university in Dakar.
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Faced with the continuous rise of terrorism in the Sahel, UNODC provides judiciary assistance to the region's States in order to help them better prevent, investigate and prosecute acts of terrorism. In this context, UNODC has organized a regional workshop on the role of supreme courts in the fight against terrorism. Building upon two previous regional meetings, the workshop took place in Nouakchott from 10 to 12 July.
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Abuja, 10th July 2017- The Project
"Support to ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, related organized Crime and drug abuse in West Africa" held its third Steering Committee Coordination meeting on the 10th of July in the premises of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja. The Steering Committee Coordination is held twice a year between the partners involved (ECOWAS, EU, UNODC).
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According to the World Drug Report of 2017, West Africa's part in global drug trafficking has become a growing concern. In Mali, law enforcement officers have made several seizures during the month of June 2017, whether by overland or aerial routes. Capacity-building of law enforcement officials, in their fight against drug trafficking is a central component of UNODC's mandate in West and Central Africa.
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In the framework of its partnership with the G5 Sahel, and particularly with its Security Cooperation Platform, UNODC delivered two national training workshops in Niamey and Bamako, from 19 to 30 June 2017. These sessions focused on intelligence gathering and analysis, a fundamental aspect of countries' efforts to fight terrorism and transnational organized crime.
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19-22 June 2017 the UNODC delivred a training course in Ghana on fisheries crime to enhance the operational skills of law enforcement officers fight fisheries crime. By bringing the CCP Port Control Units, customs, police, as well as the private sector together, cooperation between these agencies is strengthened, fostering a comprehensive approach to fight this type of crime.
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The Sahel Programme Progress Report of 2017 was launched on 15 June 2017 in the UNODC Headquarters, in Vienna. The Report showcases the outstanding results achieved by the governments of the Sahel region, with the support of UNODC, in their fight against trafficking, transnational organized crime, terrorism, and trafficking in persons and of migrants.
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UNODC is currently carrying out a project to enhance the capacities of Nigerien judicial authorities to fight terrorism while respecting human rights. A key component of this project is to increase the access of persons accused of terrorism, currently detained and awaiting trial, to legal aid services. In this context, 10 national young UN Volunteers were recruited and trained, in Niamey from the 7 to 9 June 2017 on delivering legal aid.
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In recent years, the Gulf of Guinea has become the epicenter of maritime crime in Africa. UNODC organized a training for thirty practitioners from African countries, namely Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon, focusing on the State action at sea and the adequate penal responses and aiming at improving coordination between the countries affected by maritime crime.
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May 2017 was of utmost importance for the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) in West Africa. Indeed, the Niamey Joint Aairport Interdiction Task Force seized 3kg of methamphetamine on a passenger thanks to the training delivered by UNODC. In addition, a new Joint Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) was set up in Ouagadougou and thus, joined the growing network of JAITFS around the world.
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Transnational organized crime networks (including drug traffickers) and terrorists are exploiting the Internet in recruiting, radicalizing, spreading hate messages and even organizing terrorist actions. UNODC organized a national training workshop on cybercrime, which was held from the 15 to the 19 of May 2017 in Niamey, and that was attended by 33 law enforcement and judicial officers.
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From 9 to 11 May 2017, UNODC experts delivered a training to 25 Nigerien lawyers on the rights of the defense in order to prepare the trials of detainees suspected of terrorism. This training session was crucial and was also the opportunity to train the lawyers on different matters, including the treatment of children associated with terrorist and violent extremist groups.
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Over the last decade, the importance of West Africa as a smuggling route for cocaine from South America to Europe has kept increasing sharply. In order to fight against drug trafficking and other forms of transnational organized crime, Cabo Verde and the Netherlands signed a Partnership Declaration under UNODC's auspices, on 9 June 2017, in the capital city of Praia.
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Illicit drug use is a growing concern in Malian prisons, where insufficient security measures allow detainees to traffic and consume illegal substances. UNODC has organized a workshop on the identification of both illicit and legal drugs in prisons in Segou. This training took place on 8-12 May 2017 and was attended by 40 Malian prison officers, enabling them to use UNODC drug and precursors test kits.
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UNODC provided a tutoring session to the staff of the national unit of the Security Cooperation Platform (PCMS) in Niamey from 23 to 25 May 2017, as part of its programme to support the operationalization of the G5 Sahel PCMS. This activity, which will be replicated in other G5 Sahel countries in 2017, aims to accompany them in the implementation of their activities.
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In the framework of the follow-up of the international conference "She Decides", the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, M. Alexander De Croo, came on mission to Dakar between 26 and 27 April. His visit was the occasion for him and his delegation to meet with the implementing partners of UNODC, UNICEF and UNFPA that assist the most vulnerable women and the victims of trafficking in persons.
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A national workshop was organized by UNODC in Bamako, Mali, from 24 to 28 April 2017, on economic and financial crime. This training, within the framework of the UNODC support plan for the operationalization of the G5 Sahel Security Cooperation Platform (PCMS), aims to be replicated in the other four Member States of the organization in the coming months.
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A workshop was dispensed by UNODC experts in the Chadian capital city of N'djamena, and was designed to raise awareness among financial institutions and other designated non-financial businesses (DNFBPs) of the key elements of the fight against Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism Financing in Chad. Over 25 participants from various sectors benefited from the training workshop.
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A national training workshop was held in Bamako, Mali, on understanding and analyzing the jihadist doctrine. This training workshop forms part of UNODC's support programme for the operationnalization of the G5 Sahel's Security Cooperation Platform (PCMS), submitted in January 2017. The training session is designed to be replicated over the next few months, in the remaining four G5 Sahel member states.
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UNODC, in collaboration with CENOZO, organized a training workshop on "International investigative journalism in the Sahel region", which took place in Ouagadougou from 18 to 20 April 2017.The workshop brought together 60 investigative journalists from the Sahel region and West Africa. The purpose of this training was to familiarize participants with CENOZO's strategic plan 2017-2019.
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UNODC organized a training session from 10 to 14 April 2017 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for Police and National Gendarmerie school instructors, to strengthen authorities' responses to the challenge of transnational crime networks, and in particular, those related to fighting trafficking in person and smuggling of migrants.
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On 5 and 6 April 2017, the UNODC Sahel Programme held its second Steering Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal. Participating governments had the occasion to share key results and future assistance needs with UNODC experts. Recommendations were subsequently approved during a round table attended by representatives of the Sahel Programme's key donors.
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Trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants are two growing issues threatening human security and economic development in the region. Both are affecting Senegal as it is a destination country for victims of trafficking in persons and a country of origin for migrants wishing to join Europe. In March 2017, UNODC implemented awareness raising activities in Kedougou and a training session in Dakar to fight these two plights.
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Two regional training workshops have been organized in Burkina Faso, and a national one was held in Chad, covering respectively the fight against drug trafficking and intelligence gathering and analysis. These workshops form part of UNODC's support programme for the operationnalization of the G5 Sahel Security Cooperation Platform, submitted in January 2017.
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From 22 to 23 March 2017, a national workshop, entitled « Police, Gendarmerie and Customs Services : integrity and fighting corruption », was organized in Ouagadougou, in cooperation with the High Authority for State Control and Anti-Corruption (in French "
Autorité Supérieure de Contrôle de l'Etat et de Lutte contre la Corruption"). This workshop gathered law enforcement officers.
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For his first mission to Senegal, on 27 and 28 March 2017, Mr. Aldo Lale-Demoz, UNODC Deputy Executive Director (DED) met with Ministers and UNODC's main international partners to discuss security challenges, and review UNODC's contribution to enhance Senegal's and the region's capacities to counter transnational organized crime and terrorism.
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UNODC and the Financial Intelligence Unit organized a national workshop for reporting entities on combatting money-laudering and terrorism financing (ML/FT) in Burkina Faso from 21 to 23 March 2017. 30 representatives from financial and non-financial sectors attended this workshop which aimed at raising awareness on their role in combatting ML/FT.
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UNODC through the "Project to Support ECOWAS Regional Action Plan" and the "Container Control Programme" organised a workshop on operational techniques of interdiction in port areas, intended for anti-drug personnels from 13th - 17th March 2017 in Cotonou, Benin. A similar training will be held in Lomé, Togo from 20th-24th March 2017.
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In response to a request by Mauritanian authorities, UNODC organized a training workshop in Nouakchott to strengthen the capacities of its justice officials regarding terrorism-related cases and its financing. The activity lasted from 14 to 16 March 2017, gathering officials from various Mauritanian criminal justice institutions.
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In February 2017, UNODC organized a national training workshop in Ouagadougou for law enforcement agents, prosecutors and judges, in charge of handling terrorism cases. During the training, 31 officials learned from experts' experiences in investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating terrorism cases, and exchanged best practices and lessons learnt.
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To promote better health access for people suffering from drug abuse disorders, developing alternative and less repressive approaches is critical. To support efforts aimed at preventing drug use, UNODC organized a "Conference on the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Use Disorders in West Africa", from 20 to 21 February 2017, in Abidjan.
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The JAITF in Mali, in close cooperation with Mali's OCS (Office Central des Stupéfiants) has recently seized a kilogram of cocaine from a passenger traveling from Latin America, in the form of over 60 cocaine pellets ingested by the suspect before boarding. The AIRCOP program enhances cooperation between international airport authorities.
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UNODC organized an interregional workshop for forty-two (42) representatives of twelve (12) countries of the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, in Dakar, Senegal, from 7 to 9 February 2017, to apprehend and better understand violent extremism and its funding sources.A follow up interregional workshop is set to take place in May 2017 in East Africa.
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In early February 2017, UNODC organized a workshop in Nouakchott for members of the military confronted to terrorist groups' activity, law enforcement agents, prosecutors and judges, all in charge of handling terrorism cases.The objective was to provide them with a better understanding of each other's work.
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In January 2017, Burkinabe legislators passed laws to create and institutionalize specialized judicial units (in French, "Pôle judiciaire spécialisé") to strengthen the fight against transnational organized crime, terrorism and its financing, following the provision of UNODC legal expertise and training, in response to the spike in terrorist activity in 2016.
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UNODC organized, from 17 to 19 January 2017, a national training workshop on interagency cooperation in terrorism cases. Held in Bamako, this workshop was the second in a series of three training activities. The event sought to increase the capacity and readiness of criminal justice officials to cooperate further in cases relating to terrorism.
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The new UNODC Regional Programme for West Africa (2016-2020) was presented, on January 23, 2017 in Dakar, Senegal, in the presence of members of the diplomatic service, during a ceremony chaired by the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) Mr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas.
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